Baseball: Naperville Central drops middle game of DeKalb series
Brodie Farrell had two hits at the plate for DeKalb on Tuesday against Naperville Central in a DuPage Valley showdown.
On the hill, he only gave up three hits in 5⅓ innings, helping the Barbs bounce back from a Game 1 loss for a 5-3 win against the Redhawks.
“Every pitch was working today,” said Farrell, who allowed three runs and struck out three while walking four as he improved to 3-1 on the year. “I started with the change a lot, it was probably working the best. I didn’t strike too many guys out but I got the outs when I needed to. They put the ball in play and we got the outs. ... Defense was really good. We made all the plays, every play.”
The Redhawks (9-9 overall, 6-5 DVC) got on the board first with an RBI single by Bruno King in the top of the third. DeKalb (16-9, 6-5) scored two in bottom of the frame, with Farrell reaching on an error to start the rally. Courtesy runner Connor McParlin scored on an error, and Jackson Kees scored on a bases-loaded walk by Jack Ager.
The two errors the Redhawks committed that inning were the only ones they committed all game, although coach Mike Stock said they were costly, running up starting pitcher Chase Reeder’s pitch count.
“Chase was solid. He’s always good,” Stock said of Reeder, who allowed nine hits and five runs, three earned, in four innings while walking five and striking out two. “He competes. When we let those innings become bigger than they need to it costs us pitches and it costs us innings because he’s got to throw 26 pitches instead of 15. So that got us a couple times.”
The Redhawks struck for two quick runs in the fourth when Jackson Gervase was hit by a pitch and scored on a triple by Aden Clark. Reeder’s sacrifice fly brought home Clark to put Naperville Central ahead 3-2.
But the Barbs took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth with five straight hits, leading to three runs. A double by Kees brought home Cole Latimer, and a single by Maddux Clarence played both Farrell and Kees.
DeKalb pounded out 11 hits in the win, including two each for Farrell, Kees, Paul Kakoliris and Isaac Black.
“We need to learn how to get the big hit,” Latimer said. “We have to have somebody come up, get the big hit, put the nail in the coffin for us. It’s something we’re going to attack [Wednesday] in practice and kind of a little different approach and talk to the guys about what we want to see. But at the end of the day we’re going to take the good with the bad there.”
Neither team scored again, though the Redhawks threatened in the seventh. Gervase singled then Clark reached on DeKalb’s only error of the game, but reliever Hunter Kriese escaped the jam for his second save of the year.
It was the second time in a matter of hours the Redhawks threatened in the final inning. Game 1 on Monday was suspended due to darkness, tied at eight after eight innings. It picked up Tuesday before Game 2 with Kriese pitching and Naperville Central as the home team. With two outs, King doubled then Clark walked it off with a single.
“We gave away some runs early, and that’s part of what we do,” Stock said. “We’ve got to minimize that. I wish the two and three-run innings had been just one-run innings. I’m proud of the kids yesterday and today. We came in, finished yesterday’s game and did it in walkoff fashion. That’s always fun.”
Latimer said he was very happy to see Kriese take the win in Game 2 after dropping Game 1.
“It’s a huge confidence builder for him,” Latimer said. “He was really excited about it. He is starting to understand I have a lot of confidence in him to bring him back in that situation. All in all you can tell he’s going to walk out of here with his chest puffed out a little bit.”
The series is scheduled to conclude Thursday at Naperville Central.